Sunday, May 6, 2018

Anti-Sex Trafficking Law Increases Sex Trafficking

In another instance of the law of unintended consequences, the passage of legislation intended to crack down on human trafficking and sexual exploitation has only made it worse. Congress passed the Fight Sex Trafficking Online Act in March to shut down websites where people discussed prostitution and the sex trade. Instead of hindering sex trafficking, the new law has shut down online communities that supported sex workers and allowed them to escape exploitative and abusive procurers. These communities helped sex workers find food and shelter, warned them about potentially violent clients and educated them about their constitutional rights. These platforms are essential to a demographic that’s prone to homelessness and more likely to be victimized than the general population. Shutting them down removes their only source of protection.